


Would You Be My One and Only?

by slusheez



Series: Julie and the Humans [2]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: Autistic Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Love Confessions, Minor Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Minor Flynn/Carrie Wilson - Freeform, Mutual Pining, Reggie Peters Has ADHD (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie Peters is a Molina (Julie and The Phantoms), Tags May Change, aka julie and luke's friends deal with dumb puppy love for nine chapters, it doesn't come up much but he does stim in this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:20:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29738643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slusheez/pseuds/slusheez
Summary: Even with feelings buried deep down, sometimes all that's needed to push love to the forefront is a tiny instant in time. For both Julie Molina and Luke Patterson,  a few moments is all they need for previously subdued love to barrel to the front of their minds- whether or not they'll tell each other this is a different story.Essentially, Luke and Julie's 'oh shit I'm in love' moments, and the process of them getting together. Rated teen for language, title from the song "Sophie" by The Altogether.
Relationships: Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Series: Julie and the Humans [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2172933
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	1. Realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the timeline of the AU, this takes place after the events of Peters-Molina. I've got some good ideas on how I wanted to structure this bad boy, though, so I'm going to be updating them both at relatively similar intervals.

The show was going beautifully. It was a pretty big gig for the phantoms; it was one of the smaller concert halls in the area, but that didn’t matter. There were some real record label guys here, and so they were shooting to impress- a task they were tackling with what must’ve seemed like incredible ease. It was the sort of show that Luke loved most- all the pieces fell together in a way that made for an outstanding performance. They had practiced for nearly a month in preparation for this show, and their hard work was paying off. He couldn’t exactly see the label people, but he decided that they’d be insane if they were doing anything other than freaking out in the crowd at how stellar the band was. Luke mentally marveled at the scene as Julie rounded at the song they’d been playing. The crowd erupted in whoops and cheers as the song faded out, and the band began the process of getting ready for the next song. Behind him, Alex took a quick swig of water, psyching himself back up for the next piece. To his left, Bobby readjusted the strap on his guitar, rolling his shoulders back. On the right, Reggie aimlessly noodled around with their base, playing random notes to provide a little backing to the otherwise quieted stage (all while giving flirtatious looks to those in the crowd), while Julie began to make her way back to center stage. Luke took the scene in with pride, taking his hands off the guitar for a moment to crack his knuckles, shaking out his hands afterward (a stim he’d picked up when he was young). The next song would be the last one of the night- it was time to pull out all the stops.

“So how are you guys enjoying the show?” Julie called out to the crowd from the middle of the stage, met by another round of enthusiastic cheers. “Well, I’m glad to hear it!” She laughed before she began to head back towards her piano. 

“Hope the love sticks around for the next song,” Luke hummed, playing a stray note on his guitar as Julie sat at her position from the piano. Julie shot a quick, playful look at him. 

“You ready, rockstar?”

Luke smiled, his charm in full swing. “Whenever you are, boss.”

“Everyone out there ready?” Julie called, receiving a third bout of happy shouts from the audience. With that, she began softly pressing on the piano keys, easing into the song.

_Hearts on fire_

_We're no liars_

_So we say what we wanna say_

Luke’s attention was quickly drawn away from the crowd, gazing at Julie with a wistful look. Moments like these were always the best parts of the show. It simply could not be overstated how good Julie was with music- hell, he thought, good was a shitty descriptor of how talented she was. She was amazing. It was moments like these that he truly couldn’t believe that Julie had ever tried to leave singing behind- moments where her voice rang out so clearly, so incredibly, while the crowd (and the rest of the band) sat watching with rapt attention. He really respected her, honestly. Her ability to rebound from tough situations was unmatched, he thought- though he couldn’t ever imagine giving up music, he’d always had difficulty working through his emotions. If some awful, emotional tragedy split him from any other hobby, he didn’t know if he’d ever be able to get back into it. But Julie… Julie was something else. He let out a soft breath, some indescribable emotion in his chest.

_I'm awakened_

_No more faking_

_So we push all our fears away_

She was great on the stage, too. I mean, she was great all the time, obviously. But there was really something about Julie in a performance. She’d never really been shy, not in the time he’d known her, but she was just a little more reserved than most when they were younger. You would have never guessed as much when she was on stage, though. There, an element of her personality came alive in a magnificent way. It was an energy unlike any other, a sense of self-assuredness which reflected in her every choice on stage. She’d had to grow into it, of course- her stress surrounding music didn’t just disappear in an instant, after all. But now… on stage, it was like she was entirely certain of her every action, unphased by the world around her. All that was there was herself, her bandmates, and the music. Luke’s heart fluttered ever so slightly, his smile growing wide. He was feeling admiration, he decided.

_Don't know if I'll make it 'cause I'm falling under_

_Close my eyes, and feel my chest beating like thunder_

Julie was lost in the song, opening her eyes only to toss Luke a grin- confidence over her features, adrenaline in her eyes. Her hands worked masterfully over the keys, the rings on her fingers glittering as they reflected the lights above them. Luke took the sight of her in almost ravenously. She was really pretty. Like, really pretty. He’d noticed before, but something about tonight was making it more apparent than ever. It was everything about her, honestly. The way her curls fell down her back and bounced ever so slightly when she leaned forward, overtaken by the music. The way her smile was brighter than any light in the building, in any building. It was the playful confidence she carried herself with, even when she wasn’t on stage. It was the fact that confidence never branched into arrogance, that she had remained kind and true and honest for as long as he’d known her. It was her eyes, brown and deep and entrancing. Luke had never been one for eye contact- he was better with it now than he was when he was a child, but it had always unnerved him. He’d worked past that with the guys, but they’d known each other since forever, it felt like. He’d only met Julie in eighth grade, but with her, eye contact was never troublesome or panic-inducing. He could look at her and feel… comfortable. His gaze grew dopey and earnest as his breath hitched ever so slightly. Suddenly, his face felt hot, his grin still lingering on his face. That warm feeling he’d felt when Julie began the song continued to rise in his chest as he flipped his pick from finger to finger, a quiet contentedness washing over him.

_I wanna fly_

_Come alive_

_Watch me shine_

As Luke prepared to make his entrance into the song, realization dawned on him with a nearly crushing weight. His last thoughts before bursting into the duet were unbearably clear and all-consuming.

_Oh fuck. I think I might be in love._


	2. Obvious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke explains his predicament to the rest of Sunset Curve.

“Guys, I think I’m dying,” Luke said resolutely as he paced the floor.

Bobby, Alex, and Reggie all shared quiet looks with each other. With Luke, pacing was a sign of deep, unbroken thought- and the preface he’d given them was less than encouraging.

“What’s going on?” Alex said, as comfortingly as he could muster.

“Yeah, man, what’s happening? You seem sort of… in your head today.” Reggie followed.

“So you know our last show? The one with the label guys?” Luke said, coming upon his second time around the perimeter of the rug. He stared at the floor as he walked, wracking his brain to find the words to describe the predicament he was in to his friends.

“Mhm,” Bobby supplied, calming down slightly. The source of Luke’s stress was simply leftover nerves from their show a few nights before, he figured. They’d all gotten in touch with one of the label representatives, but given how saturated the market for hopeful bands was in LA, follow-ups were slow to come out; that was enough to make all of them nervous. 

“Yeah, right. I’ve been thinking about the show a lot, you know? My stomach has been in knots for days, I feel like I’m going crazy.”

“Hey man, you shouldn’t freak out about it,” Reggie said, eyes slowly drifting back to their phone screen. “It was a killer set! Plus, I’m absolutely sure we’re gonna get word from that girl from the label soon,”

“It isn’t that,” Luke replied quickly, the speed of his pacing picking up as he began staring at the ceiling, which earned a nervous look from Alex. “It’s not that.”

“Then… what is it?” Alex said, hoping to draw more out of Luke’s short response.

“I think I have a crush on Jules,” Luke said, stopping in his tracks to emphasize his point, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Like for real.”

The room was quiet for the briefest of moments, as the other phantoms looked about themselves, almost disbelieving. Then, almost as quickly as it had fallen upon them, the silence was broken by an uproarious, wheezing laugh from Reggie (which was soon accompanied by laughter from Bobby and Alex). “That’s it?”

“You guys weren’t already together?” Bobby said, incredulously.

“What?” Luke replied, similar confusion on his face.

“Like… you guys make eyes at each other all the time,” Bobby shrugged. “I figured you just didn’t bring it up because it's sort of…”

“Obvious?” Reggie finished, earning a nod from Bobby.

“Dude, what do you  _ mean  _ obvious? It wasn’t obvious to me!”

“Dude. Like… every show you guys’ faces are like a centimeter away from each other for ninety percent of it.” Alex said, laughing along with Reggie.

“Also, you flirt with her all the time,” Bobby added.

“But that’s like… regular friend stuff. I flirt with you guys all the time.” Luke huffed.

“That’s… fair.” Alex nodded. “But the vibes are different when you flirt with Julie,”

“Yeah, you don’t get that look on your face when you flirt with us,” Bobby agreed.

“Look?” Luke said, nose wrinkled.

“You kinda look like a lost puppy whenever you talk to her,” Bobby shrugged.

“So you all knew before I did?”

The other phantoms nodded. Luke groaned, falling face-forward on the couch.

“Wait, holy shit, is this why we’re hanging out at my house?” Bobby said, another laugh rising in his chest. “So there was no chance of Julie overhearing your big confession? Wait, fuck, I have to get Carrie,”

“Don’t get Carrie! What if she tells Julie?” Luke said suddenly, shooting up from his place on the couch. Realization suddenly dawned in his eyes and he whipped his attention towards Reggie. “And Reg, you also have to promise me you  _ won't  _ tell her.”

“Dude, I promise you Carrie’d never,” Bobby said firmly. “Plus, we made a bet on this and she owes me like fifteen dollars now, so...” He said, before picking himself off the ground and bolting up the stairs to collect his dues from his twin.

Reggie mentally made a note of Luke’s request, looking up from their phone again. “Dude, you know I won’t tell her until you want her to know… but, like, what are you hiding it for, exactly?”

“What if she doesn’t feel the same way? Like, if I’m misreading a single thing, and I tell her, I’ll ruin _ everything forever _ .” Luke replied dramatically, before burying his face in the couch once again. “Pressure, please?”

Reggie shifted from their position on the couch, moving to lay back to back on top of Luke.

“You’re starting to sound like me when I met Willie,” Alex joked.

“That bad?” Luke said, muffled.

“Oh, one hundred percent.”

“Luke, honestly, I would just tell her. Just… throw on the Patterson charm or something.” Reggie hummed. “There’s no way you could ruin everything.”

“How would you know?”

Reggie started to say something before their mouth quickly snapped shut; they’d also promised Julie they wouldn’t say anything about her crush. They thought for a moment, deciding on how to respond without breaking their word. “Gut feeling?”

Luke gave a quiet ‘mmph’ from the couch (a sign he’d heard and understood but wasn’t ecstatic about the information passed to him), not picking up on the slight waver in Reggie’s voice as they replied. Alex, however, was quick to notice the minor change in tone. He gave Reggie a quick ‘what the hell does that mean’ look, to which Reggie mouthed ‘I’ll tell you later.’

Soon Bobby came bounding back down the stairs, followed shortly after by Carrie. “Is Luke still in crisis mode?” Bobby asked as he walked to reclaim his position on the couch.

“Mhm,” Alex said offhandedly.

“Luke, I promise you it isn’t this serious,” Bobby sighed as he sat back down.

“That’s what you think.” Luke insisted, turning his face towards Bobby. “I could deal with getting rejected, but I couldn’t deal with Julie leaving the band. And if I confess, and she doesn’t feel the same way, she might!”

Carrie rolled her eyes from the kitchen, where she was getting ready to make a smoothie. She set the varied fruits she’d pulled out of the refrigerator down and braced herself on the counter. “Luke,” She began, before her brows furrowed in mild confusion. “Are you under Reggie?” 

“Yeah.”

“Never mind, it doesn’t matter.” She said, waving a hand. “What’s important is that Julie wouldn’t let a mildly awkward situation ruin the music. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her as motivated to do something for as long as I’ve known her. Worst case scenario, it’ll be weird for like a month and then you’re back to cheesy duets and sharing the microphone.”

“Exactly!” Bobby said eagerly. “Thanks for being on the side of reason, for once.”

Carrie rolled her eyes exaggeratedly before speaking again. “You’re welcome. Now, I’ve got the girls coming over in like, twenty minutes. So… disperse.” 

“What?”

“Like, leave.” She said again, her attention turned back to preparing her smoothie. “The living room, at least,”

“One, no, two, why?”

“One, I’m not asking, two, because unlike some of the individuals in this room, my band doesn’t practice in a sweltering garage, so we need the space.” She smiled, sickly sweet. She turned to Alex, her smile an ounce more genuine. “You guys can comfort Luke in Bobby’s room, can’t you?”

Alex looked over tentatively. “Luke? You good to move?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Reggie, I’m gonna get up.” Luke stated, and Reggie obliged, shifting their weight off of Luke so he could rise from his position.

“Still need to vent?”

“I’m probably okay. Don’t know what I’m going to do, though.” Luke sighed, though he was visibly less on edge.

“You could try telling her,” Bobby said flatly, which was quickly met with noises of agreement from everyone in the room, save for Luke.

“That’s a terrible idea,” Luke said succinctly, to which Bobby could only shrug.

“Whatever you say, man,” Bobby replied, unbothered. “So, are we playing Call of Duty or not?”


End file.
